As usual, I do not own any of these characters, they are the rightful property of JKR. This fanfic is just for fun.

Chapter 28, The BWLA

The Burrow stood quiet in the warm English Spring Night. It had been ransacked in search of any piece of information regarding the missing ex-Aurors: Kingsley, Tonks, Moody etc. The Death Eaters had found nothing, but realizing how important the Weasleys were to the supporters of the Order of the Phoenix, they attempted to, unsuccessfully, keep their deaths secret in order that someone would come to look for them and in so doing, fall into a trap.

A green fire rose from the burrow's fireplace, from it emerged Ron, Hermione, and R.J. Lupin. The downstairs room appeared deserted except for the two decaying bodies which lay upon the floor. The stench was unbearable as Mr. and Mrs. Weasley's bodies remained unburied after weeks. At this sight, Ron lost both emotional control and natural rational inhibitions against the disgustingness of decay.

"MUM!" shouted Ron as he immediately ran out of the fireplace to the decaying body of his mother. Lupin, however, realizing why the bodies were left unburied…

"Ron no, it's a trap!"

Immediately before Ron reached the body of his mother, the door to the burrow flew open, and in came a blond haired Death Eater in black robes, not wearing his mask. His wand aimed directly at Ron whose expression assumed a powerful stare of rage.

"Ah, Ronald Billius Weasley, good of you to come, we now finally will have killed the last of The blood-traitor Weasleys," said the Death Eater.

"AVADA KEDAVRA!" came a voice, a green light filled the room, and The Death Eater fell to the ground lifeless. Hermione stood stunned, beholding R.J. Lupin with his wand extended.

"You just used the killing curse!" screeched Hermione.

"We're at war, now get down!"

Without hesitation, the three dove for the floor of the burrow as various curses and jinxes came bursting through the windows. The House was clearly surrounded. Lupin crawled to one side of the room with a window directly over it; he stuck his head up in order to peer out a window momentarily, after which he ducked back under the window, just as a stunner came through it.

"Five that way!" said Lupin. He then crawled to a window by the back door. He peered for only a split second before kneeling below the window. "Looks like there's six out there near the creek, I think one of them is a Nephezite."

"Why would they waste eleven men on just me?" asked Ron.

"It's not just you Ron," clarified Lupin. "They suspect others will come looking for the Weasleys, what they don't know is that we knew that the Death Eaters sacked their house."

At this, amid the curses and jinxes still breaking through the windows, Ron's stare of Rage fixed on Lupin. As it did, an incendiary curse set a wooden pillar on fire.

"Why didn't you tell me?" shouted Ron.

"I didn't know your parents were dead!"

"Enough arguing, we've got to get out of here. Mr. Lupin can you take the Nephesite?" Hermione broke in.

"Not with at least ten more people bearing down on me, we won't have a chance!"

"What about the way we came," Hermione continued. "There's a floo connection to Diagone Alley from this chimney."

"It's Probably booby-trapped with a spell," said Lupin.

"Why didn't it go off when we got here?" asked Ron.

They wanted to know who it was they'd killed, besides they were probably also going to question you before they killed you," Lupin clarified. "Other than that, Diagone alley was overrun by Dementors days ago, I seriously doubt you want to go there."

"The broom-shed!" said Ron.

"What?"

"My brothers and I have been playing Quiddich since we were kids, there's a broom-shed out back, I could get three brooms for us."

Lupin then nodded, realizing this was their only hope of escape, "I'll cover you."

Ron and Lupin crawled to the back door of the house closest to the broomshed. The Fire in the room had begun to spread, indicating that they were running out of time.

"Ron, you know how I hate flying!" came Hermione's voice.

"If you have a better idea I'm all ears!"

"Hermione, cover the front door," instructed Lupin.

Hermione crawled to the open front door in order to see an enemy wizard Charging it.

"Stupefy!" cried Hermione, the wizard fell to the ground.

"Use the killing curse!" shouted Lupin as he and Ron now stood at the open back door preparing to dash for the broomshed.

"What!"

"We can't risk leaving these people alive," shouted Lupin. "I'm sorry, but it is necessary."

Hermione's expression became frightened, uncertain, she signed the cross as another Death Eater came charging for the house.

"God forgive me, AVADA KEDAVRA!"

A green light emanated from Hermione's wand, the enemy wizard fell dead.

Ron and Lupin now waited to dash for the broomshed. Lupin's wand was drawn in his left hand, while his sword was in his right.

"Are you ready Ron?"

"As ready as I'll ever be."

"Lets Go!"

Lupin and Ron dashed quickly, each dodging various curses on the way to the shed which in peace-time would have only been a short walk. As they ran, Lupin hurled impediment jinxes and stunners back at the enemy wizards. The door to the broomshed was on the side of the shed facing away from their attackers, this meant that Ron and Lupin could open the shed while taking cover behind it. Upon arriving, Lupin and Ron quickly took cover behind the shed, Ron opened the door and took from it three brooms. Lupin sheathed his sword and took one of the brooms from Ron.

As the two took cover behind the broomshed, every now and again peaking their head over the side of the shed in order to pick an opportune moment in which to run back to the house, fire which had been set off by the incendiary curse had now spread all across the downstairs room of the house. Hermione, Ron, and Lupin all now realized that they had little time. As Ron and Lupin waited for the right time in which to make a dash back to the house, they both heard a female shriek coming from within the house. Ron immediately recognized the voice of the female as that of Hermione.

"Hermione!" he whispered as his gaze fixed upon the now burning house in terror, it was impossible, he thought, he couldn't have just lost her again.

"Hermione!" he now shouted as he darted back for the house, completely ignoring the curses being hurled at him by his enemies.

"Ron wait!" shouted Lupin, who now ran after him, firing curses back at their enemies.

Upon arriving at the burning house, Ron dove into the opened back doorway, and crawled through the burning downstairs room amidst the flames which now consumed the area, to the front of the house. Hermione lay on her back, her eyes flickering drearily as enemy wizards were charging the opened door. As Ron arrived at his wife's side, he let go of both of the brooms he had been carrying.

"Impedimentia! Expelliarimus! Incendio! Stupefy!" Ron hurled at the oncoming enemies just about every curse he could think of, until Lupin relieved him and began to conjure jinxes and curses to fire at the advancing enemies while Ron tended to his injured wife. Apparently Hermione had caught some kind of jinx indirectly, her moans indicated that she was still conscious.

"Hermione!" said Ron while shaking her, trying to wake her up. It did not take long, before her eyes opened and she looked up at her husband.

"Hell of a lot more than eleven of them," she said.

"Are you alright?" asked Lupin

"It's not bad," she replied.

"Alright, let's get out of here," Lupin instructed, pocketing his wand in order to take into both hands, the broom that Ron had handed to him back at the broomshed, while Ron handed Hermione the second broom he had carried.

"Oh, I hate flying," Hermione complained to herself.

"Well, there isn't exactly a safe place to take off!" Lupin said, an air of frustration came clearly through his voice.

"Most of the bastards out the front door have been dealt with," Hermione informed him.

"That's probably our best bet then, can you Run?" Lupin asked Hermione.

"Yeah, I'm fine really,"

"Do what I do!"

Lupin quickly darted out the front door amidst the curses of his enemies. Immediately upon clearing the house, he jumped upon the broom and darted into the night sky, dodging killing curses as he flew off.

"Shouldn't be too hard," Ron said. "They're most likely to hit the third one of us, so you first."

"Are you trying to be a hero Ron Weasley?" Hermione shouted, a hint of jest in her voice.

"I thought I was already your hero," Ron replied grinning.

Hermione gave Ron a quick peck on his lips before following Lupin's example, and running at full stride outside, and immediately jumping upon her broom and flying off, managing to dodge assorted curses as she did. Ron made the sign of the cross before looking back at the burning room in which he stood, any moment now, the house, his home, would collapse. He felt it a sacrilege to leave the remains of his parents bodies to be consumed in a disgraceful fire, but he did not exactly have a choice. He darted out the front door, clearing the house and jumping on his broom just as the burrow, and all he had left of his childhood and family, collapsed in flames.

In the waxing gibbous moonlight, Hermione, Lupin, and Ron managed to find each other. The brooms were definitely not the fastest ever made, but they were something. As Hermione piloted her broom, she shook violently. Her husband came up to her side, flying not five feet from her.

"Are you alright Herm?"

"I hate flying!"

Lupin laughed as a loud booming noise as if from a firecracker caught their attention. In the distance, directly in their flight path, were midair explosions, lots of them.

"Shit!" said Lupin aloud so that Hermione and Ron could hear quite well.

"What is that?" came Hermione.

"We call it flack," Lupin advised. "Enemy wand canons firing exploding firebolts at us, we're going to have to fly straight through it."

"Through that!" complained Ron. "Are you out of your mind?

"Trust me I know where we're going," said Lupin. "If we try to fly around it they'll scramble Broomsmen or worse Dementors to follow us. God I wish these brooms weren't so bloody slow. Spread out, and fly as fast as you can! Now!

As the three entered the field of explosions, they spread out until several meters separated each one from the other two. Ron still flew relatively close to Hermione though. To all three of them, the scene was utterly terrifying, they saw the orange firebolts rising slowly until coming to their level and bursting into a huge explosion they would have to dodge. What was worse, there must have been hundreds of them all around them as they flew as quickly as possible. Each time an explosion occurred close to one of the three, the shock-wave would temporarily disorient them. As he continued to fly, an explosion not less than ten feet from him, set the back of his broom ablaze, he began to loose altitude. Noticing this, Hermione maneuvered her broom directly beside him.

"Ron!"

"I'm hit! I can't keep flying for long, I've got to take it down."

"I'm coming with you!" shouted Hermione

"No, Hermione! Keep going!"

"I can't leave you!"

"You have a job to do Hermione, you must!"

R.J. Lupin's broom came close enough to the pair in order for them to hear his shouts.

"I hate to say it, but he's right Hermione," Lupin shouted amongst the surrounding explosions. "Stay on course!"

Ron immediately aimed his broom toward the ground and begun a dive, leaving behind a trail of smoke as he descended. Hermione's face bore a powerful expression of sheer terror.

"Ron, No!"

"He'll be alright, trust me!"

Hermione and Lupin continued to fly through the field of exploding fireballs which was slowly getting thicker. On the ground, a small forest of woods was coming into view in the distance, as Hermione, following Lupin, slowly decreased altitude. In her mind she knew what she had to do, but her feeling did not care. She wanted to go looking for her husband, though she knew that this was not the best course of action in the interest of the cause.

Lupin continued to lead her slowly down toward the forest. An explosion just to her right set the back of Hermione's broom, and part of her robes ablaze. Lupin looked over to behold, Hermione struggling to keep her broom in flight, and screeching at the burning sensation of the flames against her skin, he then turned his gaze back to the woods.

"We'll take her down in the woods ahead, follow me," Lupin instructed.

Their descent was still slow, but eventually they landed in midst of the trees, the sounds of the wand cannons still going off in the distance. Hermione's emotional control was a shambles, tears fell from her eyes as she put out the fire on her robes with her wand, discovering a third degree burn on her side. She was hysterical, but not for her injuries. She turned to Lupin who was surveying the woods around them.

"We have to go back," Hermione cried frantically. "We have to go back for Ron."

"Ron will be alright," Lupin said without hesitation, his eyes fixed on a direction in the woods. After nodding in a certain direction, he turned to Hermione, took his wand and touched it to her side, muttering something under his breath which caused the blackness of the burn to disappear. "We have to find the resistance, now come, follow me."

Lupin started off in the direction in which his eyes were previously fixed. As he began to walk, Hermione held him back by the arm.

"Please Mr. Lupin, I can't leave him!" she cried.

"Hermione snap out of it!" Lupin shouted at her, his voice was almost angry. "The last thing Ron told you to do was your duty now damn it you have a job to do, do it!"

At that moment, Hermione lost her composure, she fell to the ground sobbing, her hands which had been holding the midsection of Lupin's arm fell to his hands. Lupin knelt down to her, placing his arm around her shoulder, bringing her head into his shoulder, whereupon she sobbed.

"Please, please God no."

"He'll be alright Hermione, trust me, you'll see, now come, we have to move."

The two set off in the direction in which Lupin's gaze had been fixed moments before. They walked alone in the dark woods, Hermione's hands clutched to Lupin's arm, tears filled her eyes as she could not remove the thought of her husband's likely death from her mind. They had only been moments into their hike when out of the thickness of the forest appeared three wizards, all of whom were familiar to both Lupin and Hermione.

One of the three, a young female with spiked, pink hair, held her wand to Lupin with an expression of intimidation.

"Day word?" the young witch snapped.

"Cottonmouth," replied Lupin quickly.

"Action Word?"

"Jericho."

"Command Word?"

"Trinity."

"What is the color of the Bonnie-Blue Flag?" asked the witch.

"We don't give a damn about bloody American rebels!" Lupin replied.

"Show me the bird," ordered the witch.

Lupin made eye contact with Hermione who still clutched his arm, the eye contact signaled clearly that Hermione was to let go. After Hermione released Lupin, he and the young witch rolled up their sleeves and presented to each-other their under-arms, both of which bore the tattoo of a redish-orange phoenix, rising from a fire. After seeing and verifying these marks, Lupin and the young witch embraced, and brought their lips together, the young witch's eyes bore tears of joy. Their embrace made Hermione almost jealous, she turned her attention back to her worry for her husband.

"Oh Remus," said the young witch. "I was so worried."

"I love you, Nymphadora"

"I love you, Remus."

Hermione immediately recognized the other wizards who had accompanied Tonks. They too had now lowered their wands and bore faces of relief at seeing Hermione and Lupin alive. Both of them were Hermione's age, one of them had dark hair and the vestigial remains of a youthful rounded face which had been hardened by recent negative experience. The boy's gaze was empty, unemotional, as if changed by violent circumstances. The other boy had not changed at all since Hermione had seen him last, his pale, pointed face, grey eyes, and white hair were the same as ever.

"Neville? Draco?" asked Hermione.

Both Neville Longbottom and Draco Malfoy nodded, Neville approached Hermione, the two gave each other a friendly embrace. When they broke apart, Hermione noticed the red marks of dried tears upon Neville's face.

"It's good to see you Hermione," said Neville.

"You too," Said Hermione softly, her thoughts going still back to her missing husband. She turned her gaze to Nymphadora, who was holding Lupin's hands to her heart, and resting her head against his own. "Good to see you again Tonks."

"My name is not Tonks any longer," Nymphadora replied. "Remus and I married the day after the resistance was gathered. You can just call me Nymph for short."

Hermione nodded, she then looked at Draco Malfoy who avoided her gaze as if ashamed of himself and approached the Lupin couple who were still standing together.

"Colonel Lupin, sir, Captain Lupin, ma'am," he began. "With all due respect, we should get going."

R.J. and Nymphadora Lupin nodded. Draco Malfoy turned to Hermione while avoiding eye-contact.

"The remains of the legitimate ministry have granted you and the other three full pardons," he began. "They owe you an apology, no one blames you for the current situation, the Dark Lord is at fault, along with idiots in our own political leadership." Hermione nodded, surprised at the genuineness of his voice, he continued. "This way."

The five continued their hike through the forest until they came upon a rocky wall. When they arrived at this wall, Nymphadora, R.J., Draco, and Neville stopped. Draco, still avoiding her eye-contact, approached Hermione, taking his wand from his pocket.

"Give me your arm, please," he instructed.

Hermione, not fully trusting Draco Malfoy as yet made eye contact with R.J. who nodded, after which she extended her arm to Malfoy. Malfoy took her arm in his left hand; with his right hand he took his wand and pressed it against her underarm.

"This will hurt a bit, but it's necessary in order to enter," said Malfoy. "Phoenix, Appeararo."

A slight but sharp sting came upon her underarm, as a redish-orange phoenix rising from a fire appeared upon her arm. As this happened, a small hole, just large enough to fit a person appeared in the rocky wall. R.J. and Nymphadora Lupin were the first to climb through this hole, followed by Neville and Draco, who lead Hermione in after them. After following a long, dark, stone passageway, they came upon a huge, spacious cavern in which several civilians; men women and children sat as though waiting, the screams of infants and the echo of chatter could be heard in the distance.

The sight was similar to a refugee camp, in fact it was a refugee camp, as hundreds of people sat in close-quarter, each bearing a sad, hopeless face.

"Welcome to the headquarters of the BWLA," said Lupin.

"BWLA?" asked Hermione.

"British Wizardry Liberation Army," clarified Lupin. "Under the command of General Severus Snape. We'll bring you a cot on which to sleep, it's the best we can do."

Hermione nodded as she and Lupin set off into the depths of the cavern, among them were people bearing blank, emotionless faces of despair. One elderly couple ate what appeared to be rotten beans. Occasionally, they would run into small children playing tag throughout the camp. The smell was absolutely revolting as there were no bathing facilities.

"Colonel Shackbolt, General Moody, myself, and my wife, magically dug these caverns just after Voldemort's appointment to the ministry of magic," said Lupin.

"There are children here," Hermione observed.

"This is an escape for civilians as well as resistance fighters," Lupin clarified. "Unfortunately the civilians are not permitted to go outside at all. When Ron returns, you'll have to share a cot, I know it's not exactly the lap of luxury, it is a war you know."

Lupin led Hermione to an unoccupied section of the cavern, wherein with his wand he conjured a double cot. Just before he left, Lupin noticed a tear escape Hermione's eyes.

"Hermione, Ron will make it, trust me I know what I'm talking about," Lupin said with a face of intense sincerity, Hermione nodded, half afraid, half-trusting him, trying to convince herself that what he said was correct. "You'll excuse me."

To Hermione, Lupin appeared to walk directly from their current position directly into a stone wall. In reality, Lupin entered a dark corridor which broke off into several smaller caverns at which sat desks, tables, chairs, and individuals engaging in clerk-type work. In a small cavernous room at the end of this corridor into which, Lupin walked, was a table and a map of Great Britain and Ireland posted on the cavern wall. At the table, sat Severus Snape, Nymphadora Lupin, Alastor Moody, Kingsley Shackbolt, and several others, all of whom bore the tattoo of the phoenix rising from the fire on their underarms. Upon Snape's underarm, the dark mark had been somehow magically removed. Nymphadora Lupin had the floor, and was addressing the council.

"My resistance fighters in the eastern section, have destroyed twenty floo connections in Kent and East Sussex," Nymphadora lectured. "The magic railroad depot in Manchester has been destroyed, the enemy has placed anti-apparition fields in place in order to prevent any of us from entering London, this will effectively cut off London from any form of magical transportation, and we can easily monitor and are in good position to attack any unorganized transit."

Snape's usual cold, emotionless gaze fixed on R.J. Lupin as he entered the room.

"Colonel, were you able to secure the aid of the Nasserites?" Snape asked.

"They are currently in the process of completing the training of new members," Lupin Replied.

"Did they say when we could count on their assistance?" asked Kingsley Shackbolt.

"No."

"The twenty-third Kentucky Auror Broomsmen Brigade will be arriving from The United States tomorrow," said Alastor Moody. "The Americans say they cannot spare any more units to our aid."

"And the siege of Scweinzunge is not going well for the German Liberation Front," said a black witch with long hair. "We can probably expect the rest of you-know-who's forces to return within the next two weeks."

"General if I may," Lupin broke in. "We must attack now, we should wait for the Americans to arrive, but no longer, our only hope is to kill Lord Voldemort at the Ministry of Magic, and at the very least we need a victory."

"I agree General," said Alastor Moody. "The longer we wait, the closer the Dark Lord's army is to Returning from Germany."

"Killing the Dark Lord will be no easy task, even with the last horcrux gone, and if we fail to do so, the battle will be of no consequence, victory or defeat," said Snape, his voice sounded as if he was resuming command of the discussion, and his word was final. "The Dark Lord himself remains in England with a sizable enough force to make our efforts to kill him difficult; we will wait until further reinforcements arrive, and if they do not, only when we are sure that they will not, will we attack."